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U.S. DTV News & Discussion

155K views 600 replies 141 participants last post by  Robbers Bhell 
#1 ·
FCC Cites Dell For Failure To Label TV Sets
(Broadcasting & Cable)

Dell.com has joined the list of online TV sales Web sites cited by the FCC for failure to label analog-only TV sets.

As of May 25, sets without digital tuners must be clearly marked, either on the set or in close proximity, with the warning that the set will not receive over-the-air broadcasts after February 2009 unless equipped with a converter box.
http://www.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=152842
 
#196 ·
This is good advice - and something I have been trying to get 'others' in my house to do!! I keep telling the kids that it is better to use 17-2 for Wordgirl recordings!!

I don't however, watch much of anything myself that is in SD and do wish that some of these available sub-channels were put to better use.

I also wish our Toronto stations would get on this bandwagon as well. My personal requests would be 5-2 - CBC Newsworld, 9-2 - TSN, and 57-2 - Rogers Sportsnet , but that is for another thread....
 
#198 · (Edited by Moderator)
On Analog 18 Fresno, I found this:
KVPT is no longer broadcasting an analog signal.
You can still receive KVPT by preparing your
television to recieve a digital signal.
KVPT is partnering with Comcast to answer
your questions regarding the digital transition.

To learn more, call:

English 800-956-1673
Spanish 800-956-1674

Then it mentions kvpt.org/digital
I assume this is the Nighlight service some stations are doing? It's a PBS station, BTW. The others are still analog.
 
#200 ·
ION TV digital delaying launch

I ran across this recently and was not sure where to post it in this forum. So Stampeder, please feel free to move where you think it makes sense.

ION Television in the states has delayed their switch to digital OTA until March 16 in 20 major markets:
http://www.ionmedia.tv/press/press.cfm?id=146

Now this got me wondering what markets those were:
http://www.ionmedia.tv/press/press.cfm?id=146

So it looks like the transmitters closer to Canada are not going live March 16 but a more nebulous "later in 2009".

For Toronto folks that means WPXJ will be switching to digital some time later in the year.

For those not familiar with ION Television you can check them out here:
http://www.iontelevision.com/

I'm not waiting with baited breath for this channel to go digital, but it will be one more channel for potential OTA reception.
 
#204 ·
Wrong, wrong, wrong

As they say on Slashdot RTFA...
I probably needn't tell you which choice a 70-year-old Missouri man selected on Friday, after he couldn't get his DTV converter box to work. According to reports, after the Joplin resident lost his cable and fussed with the DTV box for a bit, he gave up, and eventually turned to the oldest of analog solutions -- good old-fashioned firepower -- to get the television to start working.
  1. Oldster has his cable TV service cut off
  2. Gets roaring drunk
  3. Tries to get his DTV converter box working, but is too drunk to figure it out
  4. Loses it entirely and fires off a couple of rounds at the TV
And people try to blame it on the DTV conversion. Sheesh. A much more detailed story is at http://www.joplinglobe.com/joplin_metro/local_story_049234843.html?keyword=topstory
 
#206 ·
DTV coupon program back on track

The transition has been painful in large part because the NTIA has had to put millions of consumers on a waiting list for the $40 coupons it is distributing for digital converter boxes, after it spent the $1.3 billion initially provided for the coupon program. The stimulus package President Obama signed into law allocated an additional $650 million for the program.

Thanks to that extra funding, the NTIA should be able to mail out about 2 million coupons per week, McGuire-Rivera said, getting coupons to the millions on its waiting list in less than three weeks. The agency is also expecting to run its coupon program more efficiently now that it has expanded the number of banks issuing the debit card coupons and enhanced its waste, fraud, and abuse checks.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10189629-38.html
 
#207 ·
I think the remaining 4 million people on the waiting list should be getting their coupons by the end of March. I see people who were put on the wait list at the beginning of March have an expected mail out date of March 27th.

Since it's a first in/first out deal, that means everybody who has been waiting since January should already have their coupons. The Stimulus deal did approve coupon money. But the coupon money didn't get sent out for about 2 weeks after the Stimulus passed. (procedural issues)
 
#208 ·
The Stimulus deal did approve coupon money. But the coupon money didn't get sent out for about 2 weeks after the Stimulus passed. (procedural issues)
See, thats where goverment accounting is really screwy. No more money was really needed. The money from expired and unused coupons didnt go back into the "pot" for other converter boxes like normal people would expect. Instead it went back into the general fund, where it could be used for other things.
 
#211 ·
CEA Panel Outlines Last Efforts On DTV Conversion

CEA Panel Outlines Last Efforts On DTV Conversion

By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 4/23/2009 1:35:00 PM
Washington

The digital TV transition has been successful, with government and industry members trying to ensure the remaining pockets of consumers who rely on over-the-air broadcasting have the information, converter-box coupons and the boxes themselves to keep watching TV when the June 12 deadline arrives.
http://www.twice.com/article/CA6653805.html

It sounds like after the June cutover there will only be a small amount of mopping up to do.
 
#213 ·
Signal Strength Increases in Rochester, NY Area

The transition is showing promise in the Rochester area. Channel 8, the CBS affiliate has recently shown a 20% increase in signal strength. I'm getting from mid 80s to 100% for Rochester stations now. The true test of course will be at the end of the week when the temporary channel locations are switched to their permanent channels. I'm also seeing an increase in Syracuse stations although some are not strong enough for a picture with current setup of small outdoor antenna.
 
#214 · (Edited)
Central California OTA channel status.

Here, stations will be cutting over at different times. Some stations will switch at 8am during the local morning shows while some others will switch at 9.

There will also be some switching over at noon. I believe at that point, all will have switched off analog channels after 60+ years.

Provided as a service to our Central Cali. readers. This does not include Modesto/Sacramento, as someone else will have to post that info. I live in Visalia.

ETA: 22 minutes ago, KUVI 45 Bakersfield completely cut their analog signal. The digital channels come in perfectly, they didn't yesterday.
Subchannels are 31.1 and 39.1, two Spanish channels.
 
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